Mostly deserted for ages though oft explored and rather storied, the curious landmass in northern San Francisco Bay known as Red Rock Island remains on the market - this time listed at $9 million. Spanning nearly 6 acres and reaching 172 feet above water at its highest point, the island straddles three counties, Marin, S.F., and Contra Costa.

It is the only privately owned island in the bay, situated just off the south side of the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge, with fantastic views in all directions. Listed at $22 million earlier this year, including mineral rights, the island's rocky resources, good for road building, are now negotiable in value.

Higbee has represented the island on and off for years, beginning with the former owner, the late David Glickman, a San Francisco attorney who purchased it in 1964 for less than $50,000. Glickman, son of Frank Lloyd Wright engineer Mendel Glickman, dreamed of transforming Red Rock into a vacation getaway with a destination hotel and of tapping into its gas reserves, said Higbee.

Neither happened. But Higbee, asked what he imagines for the empty island, envisioned it as "a getaway place" for vacationers or the setting for "a dream house" - after removing about a third off the top off the prominent rock formation. He valued the rock on the island - useful for road building, aggregate and cement - at $22 million, and said there has been real interest in it from buyers.

Retired businessman Durning acquired the island from Glickman about 40 years ago in lieu of a debt. Durning said he made monthly payments on it for 18 years before owning it outright. He has not done anything with the island since, except the occasional expedition with local scouts or cave explorations with his sons. Durning didn't seem too interested in letting it go.

"If somebody came up with some money, I would sell it; otherwise, I'll leave it to my sons to get even with them," he said, adding, "It's a lovely island, quiet. It offers one of the real different views of San Francisco."

Selim Woodworth, son of the poet Samuel Woodworth, was the only person to ever live on Red Rock Island, according to redrockisland.homestead.com. Woodworth, the son, built a cabin there and raised a flagpole at the summit, living on the island from 1851 to 1856. According to legend, the island was once a burial place for pirate's treasure; though, if any was ever found, it was never publicly acknowledged. Still, Red Rock has alternately been called Treasure Island and Golden Rock.

The first written account of the island came in 1812, according to Red Rock Island online, when Russian hunters used it as a base to hunt and kill sea otters.

Hank Pellissier, for an article in the New York Times earlier this year, described the island as having "scattered brush, a few pine trees, migrating Canada geese, sea gulls, bats and perhaps rabbits."

The perfect escape, maybe. "It is a white elephant," Higbee said of the island's one-of-a-kind attributes. Or perhaps someone will buy it and donate it to the East Bay Regional Park District in Contra Costa, he said.